Gonzalo Ferrari and his wife Fernanda had already been waiting for two hours the plane from Mexico City that was arriving with delay. They had not seen their nephew Marcos for nearly two years, and as they knew that at that age boys change quickly they had a certain expectation.
“He is coming with a girlfriend, an African woman if I understood his email correctly.” Said Gonzalo.
“You mean she's black?”
“I guess so.”
At that time the monitor indicators set in the ceiling indicated that the plane the Ferrari were expecting had landed. The couple went to the passenger arrival area.
Marcos and Nubia emerged from a cloud of Chinese passengers who for some reason had butted the same flight. The red hair and large size boy and her black face stood out among the Asians, generally shorter.
Fernanda put her glasses on to anticipate what they were to find.
“Marcos looks as always, and the woman is beautiful. She has a noble bearing.”
Marcos hugged his uncle and aunt in the typical and somewhat overacting fashion of Argentineans, including the shedding some tears, and not only in female eyes.
“Let me introduce my fiancée Alimah. We all call her Nubia.”
The boy had warned his companion that she would be kissed by almost everyone, because that was the habit in the country, particularly with women and especially the pretty ones. A little surprised, the daughter and granddaughter of Nubian warriors had to put her cheek to her new acquaintances. Meanwhile Fernanda did not take her eyes off the young woman analyzing particularly her outfit and hair dress. Nubia was wearing a typical African folk dress, not necessarily Sudanese or Ethiopian, printed with strong warm colors that suited her perfectly. Several copper necklaces were displayed around her long neck, hiding a simple metallic necklace from which hung a simple leather case. Long earrings dangled of her ears made of the same material and her makeup highlighted her extremely exotic type.
“Nubia does not speak Castilian, but you can speak in English with her.” Warned Marcos.
Fernanda turned out to be professor of Castilian and literature, and spoke English fairly well. She also acted as a cicerone from the beginning explaining Nubia what she was finding in the new country. Fernanda explained that despite the political and social turmoil and economic outrages Argentines were satisfied with their country, in fact much more than with themselves. She was indicating the places they passed from the Ezeiza International Airport to the Ferrari´s residence in the neighborhood of Palermo in the City of Buenos Aires.
The first impression the girl received was that of a relatively flat city, with messy traffic and impetuous and sulky drivers.
“Aren´t there any blacks in Argentina?” Asked Nubia somewhat puzzled.
Fernanda gave a cursory explanation that emphasized the effect of wars and plagues during the XIX century on the African population of Buenos Aires, that had been one third of the total at the time of the colony.
“But the decisive factor was the massive European immigration of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, which exceeded several times the existing native population.” Explained.”What happened is that the immigration was an essentially male influx of newcomers who sought company among the existing women, essentially a mixture of Spanish with indigenous and African ethnic components.”
“So the black genes are there.”Concluded Nubia.
“They're submerged and invisibilized under the European alluvium.”
Nubia and Fernanda felt a strong current of mutual affinity. Above their differences in almost every issue there was a manifest empathy between the two women, one of which seemed to have all the questions and the other all the answers.
Meanwhile Marcos and his uncle spoke in Castilian about the intentions of the newcomers.
“ Are you planning to stay in Buenos Aires or go to the farm of your parents in Firmat?”
Marcos's parents had a farm of 300 hectares in the province of Santa Fe, in a predominantly rural area.
“For now in Buenos Aires. Nubia wants to learn Castilian, to finish high school here and then study Nutrition at the University. I plan to resume my studies in agricultural engineering. For that we should be in Buenos Aires or Rosario.”
“You got any job in mind?
“Not for now. I´m just arriving.”
“Listen, the job you had with us until you decided to go abroad is still available. I need someone I can trust to take care of the business when I'm traveling and you already know the job as you have had it for over a year. I need only to update you on some products and new customers.”
Gonzalo, who was also an agronomist, had a business exporting exotic fruits to the United States and Europe. For business he had to travel thousands of kilometers from the north border with Paraguay to Patagonia to buy fruits and also abroad to sell them.
“Well, I thank you. I will accept the job. As we will tell you after our departure from New York was a bit ... hasty.”
Arriving at the house the four children of the couple were waiting, two boys and two girls. Although the smallest, one year old, began to sweep as he saw for the first time a person with black skin and dressed so differently, the curiosity and interest of the brothers soon overcame that reaction. Finally he smiled when Nubia picked him up.
“You seem to be used to dealing with children.” Observed Fernanda. A cloud of sadness invaded Nubia's face.
“Yes. I worked in a school in Ethiopia before ... happened what happened.”
Fernanda put one hand on the girl´s shoulder. “ Sorry, I was not aware of this story but there will be time for confidences later.”
Gonzalo had left in his car to take the kids to school and Nubia had accepted the invitation to accompany them so as to get acquainted with the city. Fernanda and Marcos were sharing a cup of coffee while the boy was emptying the suitcases and bags and sorting things.
“Nubia is a stunning beauty and a very intelligent woman.” Stated Fernanda.
“I know the first part and I am interested in your opinion as a professor on the second.”
“ She shows much interest in everything that surrounds her and picks up things very easily, obvious signs of intelligence.”
“I do not know what I've done to deserve her.”
“Don´t be fool. You're a very attractive man for women of any race, and have a sweet nature.”
Then she changed the subject.
“For the first days we booked a room for you at an unpretentious nearby hotel. Gonzalo told me you've agreed to work with him while you continue your studies, and since we have offices two blocks from here we thought that you might want to rent something in the surroundings.”
“It's a good idea.”
“With time you might want to rent an apartment. In this neighborhood there are many apartment buildings, both new and old. Tomorrow we can go out to visit some estate agents to see what they have available.”
“You know? I think you've become a benchmark for Nubia, something like a guide. She has had a very eventful life in the last two years and needs a kind of older sister to support her in this new environment.”
“ What she especially needs is you. I see it in her face every time she looks at you.”